


The Siren Volume Three

by TheWanderingViolet



Series: The Siren [2]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Depression, Friendship, Gen, Heartbreak, Heavy Drinking, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Music, Nakamaship, Past Abuse, Personal Growth, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Self-Acceptance, Suicide, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-26
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:14:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27485608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWanderingViolet/pseuds/TheWanderingViolet
Summary: When all is lost and you can’t find a way out, a friend can mean the difference between life and death.
Relationships: Red Hair Pirates & Original Female Character
Series: The Siren [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1750381
Comments: 5
Kudos: 6





	1. Listen Before I Go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen Before I Go, Billie Eilish

I let my fingers trail against the rough bark of the trees as I walked slowly through the thinning forest. My feet softly crunched the fallen leaves beneath my feet as I walked. A single tear glided down my cheek as I began to quietly sing.  
.  
Take me to the rooftop  
I wanna see the world when I stop breathing, turning blue   
Tell me love is endless, don't be so pretentious  
Leave me like you do  
.  
  
Another tear fell from my eye as I continued to walk.   
  
.  
If you need me, wanna save me  
Better hurry 'cause I'm leavin' soon  
Sorry can't save me now  
Sorry I don't know how  
Sorry there's no way out   
But down  
Mm, down  
.  
  
I took a deep shuddering breath as I finally reached the edge of the forest. Before me lay a small hill. I continued to walk.  
  
.  
Taste me, the salty tears on my cheek  
That's what a years long headache does to you  
I'm not okay, I feel so scattered  
Don't say I'm all that matters  
Leave me, deja vu (mm)  
.  
  
I continued to walk as I slowly crested the top of the hill. I looked out over the endless ocean as I continued to sing.  
  
.  
If you need me, wanna see me  
You better hurry, I'm leavin' soon  
Sorry can't save me now   
Sorry I don't know how   
Sorry there's no way out   
But down  
Mm, down  
.  
  
I lowered my eyes so I could stare down at the jagged rocks and crashing waves below me.   
  
.  
Sorry  
.  
  
I closed my eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so I've decided to hold off on posting this fic until I get the majority of it written. So hopefully January? No promises but I do already have over 10,000 words written!


	2. Rock Bottom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello Friends! So here is the beginning of part 3 of Ari's story! So if you are new here, welcome, you don't need to have read Volume 2 to enjoy this! I will put a little snippet of backstory at the end of this chapter for those of you who haven't read Vol. 2. But for those of you who have read Vol. 2 this chapter takes place a few weeks after the end of chapter 27. Also! I choose to put my chapter warnings at the end of relevant chapters, so if you have any worries then go ahead and check the bottom of each chapter for any warnings and summaries of triggering content (so you can skip things that make you uncomfortable but still enjoy the story). But overarching warnings for this story are depression, suicide (contemplating, but not attempted), past abuse (verbal, physical, and sexual), and general self hatred. But again, more detailed warnings will be provided when they come up, but if these things bother you then it may be best to skip this fic as those topics are pretty much in every chapter.  
> .----------------------------------------  
> Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or any recognizable character from the anime, manga, or movies. Also, I do not own any song lyrics or songs mentioned in this fic. All artists will be credited and I don't own any of them. Nor do I receive anything from including them. However, Ariadne is my own creation and please do not use her without permission.  
> .----------------------------------------  
> Warnings at end of chapter  
> .----------------------------------------

* * *

New World

* * *

I sat on the cliff edge with my feet dangling and all I could do was stare at the waves beneath me. I watched as they violently smashed against the rocks they had spent the last millennia sharpening. As the light receded from the world so too did the water level from this pathetic spit of land I found myself on. This island was devoid of all life aside from a few trees and in fact the only noteworthy part of it's geography was this towering cliff I chosen to contemplate… well myself.

The ocean had always been a part of me and it has always been the thing that brought me the most comfort in life. From the very time that I could walk I would constantly toddle my way to the shore near my home. My first word had been shouted in anger after my mother had pulled me from the waves. The ocean had always been my dearest friend, my closest confidant, my world. The ocean was the one I ran to when the resentment from my parents grew too loud. The ocean was the one to hold me when the cuts and bruises from those who claimed to love me grew too deep. The ocean was the one to carry me to safety when the weight of the world grew too much to bear.

And yet the ocean, for all the comfort she has given me, was the very thing that carried me to the places that inflicted unspeakable horrors upon me.

The ocean had jeered as men plucked innocence from my skin. The ocean had giggled as my dreams were ripped from my heart. The ocean had cheered as the very light of humanity fled my eyes.

_I suppose it's fitting that I should be tied so closely to such a cold hearted bitch. After all I don't have much use beyond bringing hatred and hardship into the world._

_But still… You'd think that after all these years the least she could do is grant me one last comfort. Surely if I try hard enough letting her end my suffering wouldn't be that difficult._

_No. Of course that wouldn't work. Why wouldn't she betray me like everything else in this world?_

I took a deep breath and squeezed my eyes shut as tears forced their way down my cheeks.

_I can't believe I was so stupid. Why the fuck would he need me?_

_No, of course not._

_You were just forcing yourself into a place that you weren't wanted or needed._

_Again._

_Come on Ari grow the fuck up. When are you going to realize that no one wants you? You are just a cancer on this world so do everyone a favor and fuck off. But you can't even do that can you?_

_No._

_Because you are just so fucking useless that you can't even die._

_Pathetic._

The waves just continued to crash below me without a care for my struggle.

_Would I even die if I did jump? If I didn't use my fruit? Can I even drown or would my body just instinctively save itself? But what does it even matter? I don't have the stomach to jump anyways. If I did then I would have put an end to this years ago._

_**Fuck** _ _, why am I so weak?_

I gasped for breath as I roughly wiped the tears from my face with vicious swipes, leaving my skip burning raw.

"Fuck! Why am I so pathetic!" I yelled as the tears only came faster and my breaths came in ragged gasps.

_I really thought that I had found my place this time. I really really did..._

_But guess not._

_And he's right, it's my fault. I'm the problem. That's why no one wants me around. That's why everything always blows up in my face. That's why my own parents didn't want me. That's why no one wants me…_

_FUCK! STOP CRYING! ACE WOULDN'T CRY NOW WOULD HE? NO! HE WOULD SUCK IT UP AND MOVE THE FUCK ON!_

_Hell, he already did…_

_So if you aren't going to jump then get off your ass and figure out what you are going to do next. You can't go back to Totto for another 2 years so what are you going to do until then? Where are you going to go? You have to find another crew because heaven forbid you do something alone right? Oh no, not delicate little Ariadne! She NEEDS to have others hold her hand. She can't EVER do anything on her own._

_Ok so you can't go back to Totto and you can't go back to Sera or Law. They don't deserve to have to coddle you anymore than they already have. Besides, it's not like they really ever wanted you around anyways right? No, you were just forcing yourself into their lives AGAIN. Geez why is that the only thing that you're good for Ari? Why are you nothing more than a leech? Why are you so incapable of doing ANYTHING in your entire fucking life._

_Fuck you are so useless…_

"Well this is about the last place I would expect to find you, but here you are. What are you doing? Gonna jump? Hate to break it to you but I don't think that would work too well for you all things considered."

I jumped as I heard another voice for the first time in weeks. I whipped my head around to see a man standing a few paces behind me. I turned away from him and asked "What do you want?"

_Wow now you can't even speak properly. Is there a frog living in your throat now?_

"Nothing in particular but I wouldn't mind having someone to share a drink with." He said as he sat down next to me and with swish of his long black cloak. The smell of alcohol washed over me as he settled down and handed me a bottle. I looked from his outstretched hand to his face, shrouded by red hair, bright even in the fading light. Without another word I took the bottle from his hand and began to drink from it.

The whiskey burned my throat as it went down but my body no longer had the strength to cough. The waves far below us were the only sound as we sat on that cliff drinking. After a few moments I had finished the first bottle and he silently handed me another. I was half way through that one before he finally spoke again. He simply said, "Do you wanna talk about it?"

I thought about that for a minute before the only thing I could think to say fell out of my mouth.

_Talk about what you fool? There's nothing to talk about anymore… I just- I-_

When I didn't say anything he spoke again, "You know I was pretty surprised to find you here all by yourself. What happened to your crew?"

"They're gone." I whispered.

"And they aren't coming back?"

I shook my head.

"So what's your next move gonna be?"

"I don't know I-I'm just so fucking tired." I said with a sigh that caught on yet another sob.

"You sure that's all? I don't know about you but I don't usually drinking on a cliff on an abandoned island by myself when I need a nap." He said and I could hear the smirk in his voice.

I didn't have the energy to roll my eyes. "Not physically you moron. I'm just- I'm tired of people using me and then throwing me away. I'm tired of always having to pretend to be something that I'm not. I'm tired of being worthless."

"If you're sick of it then why not stop? Just be yourself and do your own thing. It's always worked out well enough for me. That's one of the perks of being a pirate after all."

"Well good for you. This may come as a shock to you, but not all of us can run around getting drunk and pissing the day away. Not all of us can live such perfect sunshiny lives as you. So why don't you just leave me the fuck alone."

_Why is he even here? I know he isn't here for me and there isn't anything else on this island so what does he want? Why won't he just leave me be?_

He burst out laughing and said, "Oh little girl if you think my life is all sunshine then you don't know the first thing about me. Which, considering this is only the second time that we've spoken I know for a fact that you don't know a damn thing about me."

"Oh really?" I asked, feeling a bit of fight return to me. "So you weren't the golden child of the Roger pirates? You didn't have the whole damn world offered to you on a silver platter? You aren't the man who became one of the strongest pirates in the world just for the hell of it? I may not know you personally but I know you far better than you think I do." I paused. "Not that it matters anyways. I don't give a damn about you."

I watched as a smirk grew on his face. "Well if the rumors are to be believed then you don't give a damn about anyone other than yourself. After all I'm assuming that's why you're on this rock all by your lonesome. How is your fiery little rookie doing by the way? Oh wait-"

"Fuck you!" I screamed. "You have no idea what my life has been like! You have _no_ idea what I have had to do to survive."

"No I don't. And you don't know what I've had to do to survive either. So maybe we shouldn't be taking jabs at each other when we're strangers hmm?"

"Whatever." I said, turning back to the ocean.

_I don't have the energy to deal with this idiot. Why won't he just leave?_

He laughed before sticking out his hand and saying. "Hows about we start over. My name is Shanks. It's a pleasure to meet you."

I rolled my eyes and glared at him. "You think I don't know your name you dumbass?"

"It's called a polite introduction. Come on I know you have some manners deep down in there."

"Fine. I am Donquixote Ariadne and it is entirely my pleasure to make your acquaintance good sir." I said with a mock bow. "Is that good enough for you?"

"Perfect! Now while we are on the topic of starting over why don't we take this little conversation from the top and I'll ask you again, what's going on with you? And don't say nothing we both know you are just itching to get it off your chest."

I forced out a sigh roughly before asking, "Why do you care? What do you want? Why can't you just leave me alone?"

_Just leave me to die already._

"You want the truth?" He asked suddenly serious.

"Obviously."

"I'm nosy."

"Nosy? So you're just here to poke your nose into my business and then carry on your merry way?" I asked as my eyes narrowed and my brow crinkled.

"Pretty much." He said with a shrug.

"Then why should I waste my breath spilling all my secrets to you?"

"You just said exactly why you should, now didn't you? I don't give a shit about you or your problems. But you obviously want to talk so why not talk to someone who doesn't care enough to remember whatever you say. Maybe that'll stop you being so melodramatic up on this cliff acting like you want to die."

I felt my face heat up as rage flooded my veins. "You know what? Fine. But I already told you. I'M TIRED. I'm tired of this sea, I'm tired of these people, I'm tired of this whole FUCKING planet _._ All my life I have been fighting and struggling and for what? I will never be good enough. Never be strong enough, smart enough, fast enough, pretty enough. No matter what I do I will _never_ be enough. NOTHING I DO WILL EVER BE ENOUGH. I'm tired of training. I'm tired of fighting. I'm tired of trying to be something that I'm not. I- I just want to go home." I broke off with a gasp and a sob. "So go ahead and mock me all you want but it won't change that fact that there is _no_ reason for me to be alive anymore."

Shanks sat in a silence that was only broken by my strangled sobs and the waves below. After a minute, after I had begun to breath in an almost regular fashion he asked, "Where is home for you?"

"I don't have one. Not for a long time."

"Well if you don't have anywhere else to go then why don't you come sail with me for a while? It may not be home but you'll be safe to figure out where to go next."

_What?_

I straightened my back as my tears dried themselves in my eyes and the heat returned.

_What the FUCK did he just say to me?_

"What, so you want to use me as well? You want to be my _friend_ so I can do all of your dirty work for you? So you can use me while it's convenient and then throw me away when I've outlived my usefulness? Fuck off I'm not joining your crew. Just leave me alone." I shook my head as disgust began to boil in my stomach.

_Wow, that was a dirty trick you cold bitch. Give me someone to talk to who almost gives me hope and have him-_

"I don't know why you thought you were welcome to join my crew." Shanks said, interrupting my thoughts. "I said you could sail with us. Not join us."

_He doesn't want me to join him? He doesn't give a shit about me… So maybe he won't…_

"Fine." I said before I could think too deeply about what I had just agreed to.

_It's not like this'll matter in the end…_

* * *

After wiping my face again and being forced to accept the fact that I was apparently attempting to match my skin tone to his hair, I followed Shanks down to the makeshift port where his ship, _The Brattahlid_ was docked. He walked down the rocky ledge that had worn away almost in the exact shape of a dock and then quickly up the gangplank but I hesitated before following. I could hear his notoriously rowdy crew all laughing and cheering at their captains arrival. The laughter was accompanied by the clinking of bottles, poorly tuned instruments, and off key singing. Through the mess of sounds it was impossible to hear anything other than pure _joy_ coming from the deck of that small ship.

_What the hell am I doing here? I clearly don't belong. Why would they want someone like_ _**ME** _ _around them…_

My thoughts were interrupted by Shanks yelling down from the deck, "You know, the ship moves! Not the island!"

_Right, doesn't really matter what I want, I don't have a choice…_

_It's not like I have anywhere else to go…_

So I took a deep breath and started up the gangplank. When I got onto the deck I saw exactly what I was expecting to. A group of men who are happy just for the sake of being happy. There were about 7 men gathered around barrels and tables all filled with bottles of alcohol, food, and scattered cards. A few of the men made their way over to Shanks as we stepped on board but most were content to merely wave to their Captain.

_I don't belong here…_

"Hey Yasopp the lady's gonna to be traveling with us for a while. Can you show her to the guest room?" Shanks called to a man with blond wavy hair dressed in a dark blue shirt.

"Sure thing Boss." Yasopp said before waving for me to follow him.

He didn't say anything to me as he made his way through a door to the left of the deckhouse and down a flight of stairs. After that he led me down a narrow corridor and to a door towards the front of the ship. He opened it and it turned out to be a tiny cabin with a single bed on one side and a closet and desk on the other. "It isn't much." He said apologetically with a shrug.

"It's fine." I said quietly as I pushed past him to look around the room a bit more.

"Right, well I'll leave you to it. We're all up on deck if you need anything." He said before closing the door.

As soon as the door closed I sat on the bed and buried my face in my hands.

_Damn it don't you dare cry…_

I sat there fighting the tears for a moment before I lifted my head and stared at the beams that made up the ceiling in an attempt to keep the tears drowning my eyes from falling. When my eyes began to burn from how long I had resisted blinking I lowered my face and noticed a small journal with a pen on top of it sitting on the desk in front of me. I hesitantly reached for it and flipped it open. I don't know what I was expecting to find, an old log book perhaps, but blank pages was not it. Flipping back to the first page of the journal I stared at it while toying with the pen in my hand.

_If you are going to dwell on this you might as well get it out…_

_There's at least one thing you can do..._

I sighed as I started to write.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings:  
> Depression, fantasizing about suicide. Ariadne is incredibly depressed and spends the majority of the chapter thinking about how much she wants to kill her self and hating herself because she can't work up the nerve to do it.
> 
> I do not and never will encourage suicide. This story is designed to show how trauma can affect a person and how they can grow from it and become a stronger person in the end by working on themselves and through the support of others. But if you have a history of suicidal thoughts then it may be best if you skip this story. I in no way want to cause hard to another person so please try and seek help if you feel you need it and do not read this story if you feel it will cause you to harm yourself or others. Additionally, I am not a health care professional, I am also not trying to be one. I am simply attempting to write a fictional story. Please do not use this story as advice on how to cope with trauma.
> 
> .----------------------------------------
> 
> Yay! So there is the first chapter! It'll be a little while before the rest of the first arc is done but I couldn't resist posting this first chapter! Ok so housekeeping:
> 
> 1) Ariadne is my OC and will be the main character in this fic, much like she was in Vol. 2 (obvi.) But for those of you who did not read Vol. 2 then here is a tiny bit of info to get you up to speed. Ariadne is the biological daughter of Shakky and Rayleigh, however she spent a great deal of time in Marineford as a child and grew very attached to Rosinante which is why she prefers to go by Donquixote. These relationships will be a major theme in this fic so if you are confused just hold on, I'll get to it I promise! Also, in Vol. 2 Ariadne met up with Ace and was his first mate with the Spade pirates, during which time they developed a highly toxic, romantic, relationship. This volatile relationship came to a messy end when Ace challenged Whitebeard, failed, and blamed Ari for his failing. Since the end of Vol. 2, and her time with the Spades, Ari has been wandering the New World unsure of what to do next, which is where our best ginger boi meets up with her.
> 
> 2) Ariadne is also the user of the Water-Water fruit, which is an incredibly broken fruit which we will pretty much 100% never see in canon. But Ari can swim and only loses her fruit abilities when she touches sea water with her skin, she often will combat this by coating her body in her own water so she isn't technically touching the sea and won't lose her fruit. I understand that people have differing opinions regarding this fruit which is totally fine but please don't come for me over it. This is a fan fic about a world where fruits can turn your body into rubber. Let's just have a good time alright?
> 
> 3) The Brattahild is the name I decided to give the Red Hair's first ship, the one we see in East Blue not the Red Force, they'll get the Force later on in this volume. I came up with the name because that was the name of the estate owned by Eric the Red in Greenland. There is a bit of debate about wether or not Shanks is based on Eric but I decided to run with it as it makes for a pretty cool ship name.
> 
> 4) This will come up more in the next chapter but I decided to go with the Red Hairs as we see them at Marineford. So I made the crew only consist of those we get a clear look at during the battle and gave them names, personalities, and backstories as I saw fit. So if you are reading this after Shanks' crew has ACTUALLY been introduced then yea no my RHPs do not match at all. I don't want to wait another 10 years for Oda to get around to showing us Shanks' crew as he imagined them so I had to get rather creative. But Shanks, Beckman( it's fucking Beckman not Ben), Yasopp, and Roux will all be as close to cannon as possible. Although I did give them a bit more backstory so that they aren't just cardboard cut outs for Ari to interact with like the majority of the Spades were.
> 
> .----------------------------------------
> 
> Ok is that everything? I think that's everything! Thanks for reading and I hope you like this story! Be sure to leave a comment or shoot me a message if you have any questions or if you want to try and give a kick in the ass to write faster lol!


	3. The Start of Something

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello Friends! Here is the second chapter :) Not all of Act 1 is done yet but I feel like this chapter can be posted without the rest being done quite yet as it leaves things on a more complete note. Anyways I hope introducing the crew isn't too overwhelming but if it is then don't worry I plan to focus on one or 2 characters per chapter for the most part so everyone will get an in-depth intro eventually. But the 2 main characters that I had to name because Oda hasn't yet are the big bald dude we see at Marineford with the monkey on him who I named Alden. Also Guy is the dude with the blonde manbun who Tekking labeled as "this guy" in his discussion video about the Red Hair pirates so I said "ok cool that's as good a name as any" so he is now just "Guy". Also this chapter hasn't been beta'd so it's all my hot mess lol.
> 
> .---------------------  
> Also!! I am looking for a beta so let me know if you might be interested :)
> 
> .---------------------
> 
> Warnings at end of chapter  
> .---------------------

* * *

New World

* * *

I jerked awake suddenly as I heard a loud pounding coming from the cabin door. I looked around confused for a moment having forgotten the events of the night before.

_Where…_

_Oh right. Shanks._

My legs cramped slightly as I stretched them out of the tight ball I had curled up in after writing in that empty journal I had found. I sat up fully and looked for the journal before the knocking at the door came again.

_Guess they won't let me hide in here._

With a sigh I stood and walked to the door. I ran my hand down my salt stained pants and took a breath before opening the door to see a huge man holding a rack of meat in his hand waiting for me.

I blinked at his chest before craning my neck back to see his face and the huge smile that was plastered on it. "Um… Yes?"

_Why are you bothering with me?_

_Just leave me alone..._

He took a bite of his meat. "You know how to cook right?"

"I do." I started to say with my voice straining to be heard through the painful scratch of my throat. Not terribly-"

"Ok great you're going to help me in the kitchen." He said before turning and walking away.

_I guess I'm supposed to follow?_

I glanced down at my rumpled clothes that were stiff from both having been slept in as well as the large amount of sea salt dried into them. I simply sighed and slumped my shoulders in resignation before moving to follow the jolly fat man.

_It's not like I have any other clothes… But whatever, it's not like it actually matters._

As I followed him down the dimly lit hallway my legs started to burn from how much I had to lengthen my stride in order to keep up with him. "Um sorry but you're Roux, right?" I asked.

"Yup! Lucky Roux to be exact but you can just call me Roux." He said with the huge smile still firmly in place on his face.

_What's the deal with the smile?_

I tried not to be too unnerved by this strange smiling man as we continued to walk in silence. On the one hand his smile almost reminded me of someone I used to know, almost. But on the other the disparity between his friendly, almost dopey, smile and the cold, calculating look in his eyes put me on edge.

_Something isn't quite right with this guy…_

_But then again, it's not like I'm one to judge. I'm far from entirely sane myself._

Neither of us said anything more as we walked through the halls of the ship. I blinked in the low light and looked at the warm planks of wood around me. The _Brattahlid_ was a surprisingly small ship given how infamous her captain was, sure Shanks wasn't an emperor but if anyone on the seas had the strength to take that title whatever they pleased it was Shanks. But despite that he still chose to sail on a ship with only 5 decks if you counted the deck itself and the small deck house. But then again Shanks' crew supposedly only had 11 members, so how much space did they really need?

_At least I don't have to worry about Shanks bringing me here out of pity. The man barely allows enough people to sail the ship on board. But then again if it wasn't out of pity then why would he waste his time dealing with me? He would have saved himself a lot of trouble if he would have just left me there… I should repay his generosity by getting out of here as soon as I can. After all it's not like he really wants me here..._

As it turned out the galley had only been down the hall from the tiny room I had been staying in and so it only took a few minutes to reach it. As Roux pushed open the door to the galley, I braced myself for stares and jeers that were sure to follow. Yet once the door was opened and I could see inside I noticed that the room was completely empty.

_Where is everyone?_

The galley was once again, small. There were only 2 moderately sized tables with benches in the center of the room with windows lining the farthest wall away from me. Roux immediately turned to his right and headed towards a door at the back of the room.

"Where is everyone?" I asked as I followed him.

"Oh, they're still asleep. I figured you could use some time to get your feet under you without them all in your face." He said while holding open the door to the kitchen.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because they're loud and overbearing. They mean-"

"No." I interrupted. "Why would you bother trying to be nice to me?"

_What's the point?_

He smiled faltered for the first time as he responded. "I'm the morale officer of the ship. So, it's my job to make sure everyone is doin alright."

"But I'm not a member of your crew. And I won't be joining."

A sad look came over his face. "You might not be a member, but you look like you could do with a friend."

I felt my brow furrow as I glared at the man. "Is that what you're trying to be? My _friend_?"

"Life is hard enough to get through when you have good people at your back. But try and go it alone and it's impossible."

"Oh, trust me I do just fine on my own."

"You sure about that?"

"And what the fuck is that supposed to mean?" I asked as I clenched my fists.

He smiled and turned to walk into the kitchen as he said, "Don't worry about it. I'm sure you'll figure it out sooner or later. But come on we got foods to make."

* * *

After that terse initial conversation Roux and I worked in relative silence. He would hum or whistle occasionally as he worked. But for the most part he left me on my own as I helped him prepare rather basic breakfast foods. As we worked, I tried to ignore the anxiety growing in my gut as I heard people making their way into the galley through the dividing wall. While I could hear the door opening multiple times and footsteps making their way through the room, I had to strain my ears to hear voices through the wall.

"Ok Ads that ought to do it." Roux said as he placed a hot plate of toast on the serving cart near the wall. "Can you take this out to the guys while I get started on dishes?"

That was another development that had occurred this morning. Roux had taken to calling me Addie or Ads, but I just rolled my eyes and didn't bother to correct him.

_Whatever, I don't even give a shit anymore._

"Fine." I said as I walked over to the cart laden with food.

_Ok just take the stupid cart out there and you can come back in here. You don't have to talk to anyone, hell they don't want to talk to you anyways…_

I took a deep breath and pushed open the door. I braced myself for the wave of shouting that was surely waiting on the other side of the door and was immediately shocked by how quiet the room was.

My head jerked up as my brow furrowed as I looked around the room.

_Why is it so quiet in here? Didn't the entire crew come in?_

Looking around I saw that 6 of the 11 members of the crew were already gathered in the galley. Most of them were sitting quietly with their cups of what I assumed was coffee, while only a few of them were talking. I pushed the cart over to the table that they were all sitting at.

_Huh I really wouldn't have pictured them as being the quiet type._

One of the men, the one with the blonde ponytail, looked up as I made my way over to the table. "Oh, hey you're the new girl Boss was talking about."

As he spoke everyone else looked up from their conversations or drinks to stare at me. I blinked and forced my shoulders to not hunch in on themselves like they were fighting to do.

_So what if these idiots want to stare. It's not like there's anything worth looking at anyways._

"I- um yeah. I'm not joining the crew though." I said finally.

The blonde's smile dimmed slightly but he quickly recovered. "Oh yeah? Well, that's a shame. We could have been great friends." He said while leaning closer to me. "We could-"

He was interrupted by a fist to the head and a gruff, "Shut up Guy. You're making a fool of yourself."

I turned to look at who had punched the blonde and saw a truly _ancient_ man standing behind the blonde. The man's face was covered in wrinkles and his body saw hardly more than a skeleton he was so thin, although the steel in his eyes and posture made it clear that this man was not nearly as frail as his body might suggest.

The old man who had punched the blonde in the head groaned loudly as he heaved himself down into a seat at the empty table. However, the table wasn't left empty for long as Shanks, Yasopp, and Beckman filed in after him. Shanks smiled when he saw me, but I couldn't bring myself to return the gesture.

"Oh, good you're up. Should have known Roux would drag you down here first thing in the morning." Shanks said.

Roux walked into the galley with a fresh rack of meat and said, "I didn't drag her anywhere. I just didn't want her moping all day in her room so I thought it would help for her to have some time down here before the rest of you all got down here."

He took a bite of his meat before waving it at the group of men seated near me and saying, "Oh speaking of, did you all introduce yourselves?"

The talkative blonde was the one to pipe up as he said. "We were supposed to do that? I thought you gave her the run down last night?"

Yasopp turned around in his seat to glare at the blonde as he said, "Boy, do you even remember last night? You were so damn drunk I'm amazed you're even able to walk."

"Just another reason to be glad I'm not an old fart like you man!"

Shanks just laughed while the two bickered across the tables. Beckman sighed, lit a cigarette and came to stand next to me.

"Alright since the children are busy, I guess I'll have to handle this." He said. "You already know the officers Shanks, me, Yasopp, and Roux, right? In that order?"

I rolled my eyes. "Obviously."

"But I'm assuming you don't know Gunther?" He said while pointing towards the old man sitting next to Shanks.

_Why do I get the feeling I should know that old guy? Almost like he's..._

"Then over here we have Andre our navigator." Beckman continued, interrupting my ponderings. "Max the shipwright, Doc, Rand our boatswain, and-"

"Don't forget about me Beckman!" The blonde man shouted, apparently having finished his argument with Yasopp.

Beckman sighed again. "And then we have Guy and Alden, our deckhands."

"Just call me a deckhand why don't you! It's not like I do anything of importance or anything!"

"What, would you rather be the cabin bitch?" Beckman asked.

"What? No! I'm not a cabin bitch!"

"You hear that Boss; little Guy over here wants to be our cabin bitch."

"Well shit why didn't you just say so Guy?" Shanks asked with a massive smile on his face.

The blo- Guy went red in the face. "I'm not a cabin bitch!"

"Then sit down and shut up!" Beckman said with a smirk growing on his face. "Anyways, since Guy and Alden are the deckhands, just stick with them and they'll show you what to do."

"I'm not joining your crew." I said.

"No and you're also not getting a free ride. You want to sail with us, you have to work for it." He said before going to sit back at the table.

I watched as he and everyone else seamlessly fell into conversation as if I had never even disrupted them.

* * *

After the crew had finished with their meal, I followed the blonde and the tall bald man up onto the deck. Apparently, they needed to sand down the railings as some sections had been damaged during the last battle.

"You're the one we- I met back on Snowy island. Sorry your name…" I said to the blonde as we walked out on deck.

He smiled. "You don't remember? Damn and here I thought I was just so memorable! I'm Guy the youngest and best looking member of the crew."

"Right."

"But yeah, I remember you and that kid Ace, right? What ever happened to him? I figured you'd still be with him."

"I-um- we…" I stammered looking down.

_Why did I mention it? Why did I have to bring him up? Fuck, I don't want to-_

"Guy, don't you know it's rude to inquire about a lady's past? That is her business and hers alone." A tall, imposing, bald man with a scar running down his face said as he walked up to us.

I tried not to stare at his sunken eyes and slightly unsettling grin as Guy responded.

_Why do all the pirates I come across nowadays have to all have such unsettling smiles?_

_At least Ace's- Nope, not going there._

I shook my head slightly and watched as Guy and the other man started to bicker.

"I'm not prying and if she's uncomfy then she can say so herself. Isn't that right sweetheart?" Guy reached out for my shoulder and I shrunk back.

"I'd really rather just get to work."

The bald man, Alden, smiled again. "Yes, splendid idea! Now as our beautiful First Mate has placed you in our charge you may assist in our tasks this exquisite morning."

They started walking away as Guy started to complain once again.

"Alden why do you have to talk like such a pompous prick all the time? Can you just talk normal for once?"

"Well, my dear friend, while I could _speak_ like an illiterate ruffian like you, I choose to live my life a bit more refined-"

He was interrupted as a monkey jumped from the rigging and landed directly on his head, knocking him to the ground.

"Hah! Serve you right! Get him Monstar!"

I stared as Alden struggled to get up as the monkey, Monstar apparently, tried to keep him down.

_Why is there a monkey?_

Guy noticed my staring and said, "What, have you never seen a monkey before?"

I glared at him and chose not to respond to his idiotic statement. I rolled my eyes and stood back to wait for them to finish wasting my time.

_What am I even doing here? I should have just stayed on that island…_

Eventually the monkey got bored of pinning the man and he climbed to his feet with the monkey perched on his shoulder.

He cleared his throat and said, "Apologies for that. My dear companion tends to be rather excitable in the mornings. But nevertheless, this is Monstar my monkey companion."

"Great." I said while rolling my eyes. "Can we just do what we came out here to do?"

_I want to go back to my room…_

Alden nodded and made his way over to a closet set in the side of the deckhouse. He dug around for a moment before pulling out a few sanding stones. As he made his way back over to us, he continued to speak.

"Yes, my darling friend Monstar here has been by my side even longer than the brothers in arms I have found on this ship."

"I didn't ask." I said.

But he continued as if he hadn't heard me. Because of course he did. "I found Monstar when the traveling circus I was raised with stopped at his island. He was just a weakened little thing all alone in the jungle, I simply couldn't bring myself to abandon him to his fate. No, of course not! So, I took him in and raised him as my own, and he has been with me ever since."

"If you were raised in a circus then why do you speak like you're a noble?" I found myself asking.

_Wow Adne do you actually give a shit now?_

"That's what I want to know!" Guy shouted.

"I speak as a refined gentleman as it is part of my calling as a poet! Yes, I shall be known throughout the seas as the greatest poet to have ever lived!"

I looked up from the sanding stone Alden was holding out to me and said, "You're a poet? Does that mean you're a musician as well?"

"Well, no, not quite." His smile dimmed slightly. "I'm afraid that my passion does outpace my talent ever so slightly. That and I've never been particularly skilled with any instruments. But nevertheless, I shall not be deterred! My dream is attainable, and it shall be mine!"

_Well at least he's determined._

After Alden finished with his loud proclamation and after Guy ribbed him for it a bit more the three of us got to work. The two of them had apparently been tasked with sanding down a few sections of the railing that had been damaged in a recent fight. As we got to work, I chose to work on a section closer to the figure head while they stayed closer to the center of the ship. While standing there with the sea breeze tugging at my hair, I took a moment to contemplate the situation I had found myself in.

_What am I doing here?_

I let my eyes fall down onto the waves below. With the wind roaring in my ears, I could hardly hear the sound of the others on deck even though I knew that they were still there.

_They are all so happy and carefree. They know exactly where they belong and what to do._

_It must be nice…_

"I see you're working hard to earn your keep over here." I heard a voice come from beside me suddenly.

I looked up to see Beckman leaning against the railing smoking a cigarette.

"I'm doing my best alright? Besides it's not like this actually needs to be done. It's purely cosmetic."

"Sure, if you like getting splinters."

I sighed. "Was there something you needed?"

"Not particularly. I'm just wondering what your next move is going to be."

"I'm still working on that, but I'll get back to you as soon as I have it figured out."

"Think you'll be staying here long?"

I looked over the deck and saw Guy and Alden once again bickering playfully, this time they were throwing Monstar between them. I looked back down at my hands.

"No. Don't think this is really my kind of place."

"Depends on what you're looking for." He said.

I scoffed. "What is this? Some sort of recruitment pitch?"

"You're strong, you're smart, you're resourceful. Anyone would be lucky to have you on their crew. But if we wanted you to join us, we would have asked already."

"So what? You're too good for me?"

"We don't trust you." He said, staring at me intently.

I rolled my eyes and went back to sanding the railing a bit more forcefully than was necessary. "Yeah well, that seems to be a trend lately."

"Just lately? Seems to me you've always had problems with getting people to trust you."

"What is that supposed to mean?" I snapped, slamming the sanding stone down on the railing.

_Just spit out what you actually mean Beckman._

"Have you _ever_ given _anyone_ reason to trust you? You're what, 16? 17? And how many crews have you sailed with? 3? A track record like that doesn't exactly inspire confidence. Hell, you almost became a Marine."

"I did what I had to to survive. You don't know a single _fucking_ thing about me. So don't you dare stand there and judge me for what I've done."

I struggled to breathe as I felt rage boil up inside me. I turned to walk past him but jerked back as he grabbed my arm. I phased it into water but his Haki was only a fraction of a second behind.

He held my arm tightly as he said, "You need to take a good look in a mirror and figure out your priorities before it's too late."

"Why do you even care?" I asked as my lips twisted in a snarl.

"Because you're on my ship and if you bring any harm to my crew… You will regret it."

He released me and I stumbled back before regaining my footing. "You know I'm not as disloyal as everyone seems to think."

"Prove it."

I turned and quickly walked back to my room.

_Who the fuck does he think he is? He doesn't know a damn thing._

As I made it to the hallway leading to my temporary cabin another voice called out to me.

"Hey girl wait up there."

"What do you want?" I shouted as I whipped my head around to see the old man from the galley ambling down the hallway after me.

He cocked an eyebrow and started at me before speaking again, "Well shit. I figured you would be a piece of work, but I didn't expect you to be a total bitch."

_Excuse me?_

I scoffed before saying, "Yes well life is full of disappointments. What do you want?"

The old man didn't say anything as he continued to stare at me and walk down the hallway. Once he was only a few feet away from me he began to ease himself down onto the floor. It was only once he was settled did, he speak again. "You know you don't look much like your mom. Don't act much like her neither. I always expected you to be more… put together."

_What did he just say?_

"You know my mother?" I asked.

"Course I know her. I sailed with her for years!"

"No, you must be mistaken. My mother sailed with-"

"With Xebec! Don't you mock me you little shit I may be old, but I don't never forget a face. Especially not one as bat shit crazy as your mother."

_Of course. Of_ _**fucking** _ _course. Why wouldn't he be a former crew mate of his. Why not._

I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at him as I said, "Is there a reason you feel the need to bring this up? If not, then I would very much rather be left alone right not thanks."

"Of course, there's a reason you brat and if you'd let me fuckin talk then you'd know what it is!" He said, staring intently at me.

I stared back and waited for him to talk.

"My name's Gunther. I've been a pirate for a long time now. Sailed on a whole lot of ships, met a whole lot of people, killed a whole lot of folk. But no matter what one thing has always been the same. Always will be."

"And? Are you planning on elaborating?"

_Or are you just going to continue to waste my time?_

"Some people are cut out for this life and others ain't."

"What are you implying?"

"I ain't implying nothin. We both know you should be out there runnin the whole damn world. But instead, you was off playing rooky with some snot nosed East Blue kid. Then when that inevitably failed you was ready to throw your life away. You've sailed with Marines, big name pirates, and rookies. But you still ain't stuck with none of 'em. Why is that?"

"While it's _none_ of your business what I do with my life, people just don't like me I don't-"

"Oh, don't give me that horse shit." He interrupted. "You are the daughter of two of the most influential pirates in history. If you wanted, you could be running your own crew. Sure, maybe you wasn't ready when you left Big Mom's crew but now? 6 months ago? Why was you hiding behind that Ace kid when you should have been off on your own?"

"Don't. Don't say his name."

"And why not? It's true ain't it? You were hidin behind him so obviously the only reason was so that you wouldn't have to live up to your parents."

"I wasn't hiding!"

"Then what were you doin?"

"I don't need to explain myself to you. I don't even know you!"

"Well then you better make sure and explain that little fact to yourself before you really do succeed in throwing your life away." He said with a shrug before standing and leaving.

_What the hell? Who the fuck does he think he is?_

_I'm not hiding from anything._

"I wasn't hiding!" I screamed at him before he turned the corner. He turned to look at me and just raised an eyebrow at me. "I wasn't hiding. I love him and I wanted to help him achieve his dream."

"Then why are you here by yourself?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings:
> 
> Ariadne is still very depressed and borderline suicidal but I don't feel there are many references to this beyond her standard train of thought.


End file.
